page_title: Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride
section_title: Synthesis and structure
hierarchical_section_title: Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride / Synthesis and structure
caption_attribution_description: English: chemical structure of cis-RuCl2(bipy)2
context_page_description: Tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride is the chloride salt coordination complex with the formula [Ru₃]²⁺. This red crystalline salt is obtained as the hexahydrate, although all of the properties of interest are in the cation [Ru₃]²⁺, which has received much attention because of its distinctive optical properties. The chlorides can be replaced with other anions, such as PF₆⁻.
context_section_description: This salt is prepared by treating an aqueous solution of ruthenium trichloride with 2,2'-bipyridine.  In this conversion, Ru(III) is reduced to Ru(II), and hypophosphorous acid is typically added as a reducing agent. [Ru(bpy)₃]²⁺ is octahedral, containing a central low spin d⁶ Ru(II) ion and three bidentate bpy ligands. The Ru-N distances are 2.053(2) , shorter than the Ru-N distances for [Ru(bpy)₃]³⁺.  The complex is chiral, with D₃ symmetry.  It has been resolved into its enantiomers.  In its lowest lying triplet excited state the molecule is thought to attain lower C₂ symmetry, as the excited electron is localized primarily on a single bipyridyl ligand.
caption: cis-Dichlorobis(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) is an intermediate in the synthesis of tris(bipyridine)ruthenium(II) chloride.
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